by Ella Miles
She smiles as she approaches me. “I’m still the best lay of your life.”
“No, Abri, you aren’t.”
Her eyes narrow. “You’ll get bored with your new assistant, just like you get bored with all women, then you’ll come crawling back to me, begging me to take you back.”
“No, I won’t.”
Abri places her hands under the water where I’m washing my hands as she brushes against mine and then splashes me with water.
“Oops, did I get you?”
I can’t deal with this. “I’m going to be gone this weekend; you’ll have to ensure the company still runs this weekend.” Abri is ruthless when it comes to her revenge against me, but she won’t destroy the company. She feels the same way I do about it. She’ll sacrifice everything to ensure it’s running smoothly.
She shakes her hands roughly, not caring she is splashing me with water. “What a coincidence, I happen to be leaving town as well. I guess you’ll have to put your friend Cole in charge while we are both in Aspen.”
I grab her shoulders and push her hard against the wall, harder than I probably should. “What are you doing in Aspen?”
“I’m going to visit an old friend, Ren Burns. I haven’t spoken to her since I ran off with you after we graduated high school.”
Fuck.
“Like hell you are.”
She shrugs. “You can’t control me as much as you wish you could, Ace.”
I growl, even her using my first name pisses me off. I’ve never been Ace to anyone but her.
“What did you tell Mila? Why did you almost kill her?”
“Don’t be dramatic. I didn’t almost kill her. Just scared her a little. I wanted her to know she should stay far away from us. But isn’t that what you are doing, sending her on endless, useless errands?”
I don’t answer.
“What did you tell Mila?”
“The truth.” Her eyes flicker down to where my hands are forcefully gripping her arms against the wall. “You are a dangerous man, and she deserves better.”
I release her, and she walks to the door.
“We all do,” she finishes.
15
Mila
We are supposed to leave for Aspen in fifteen minutes, as soon as Knight finishes his last meeting for the day. My stomach is in knots thinking about it. I don’t want to go. I’d rather have a painful bikini wax. I’d rather do more of Knight’s stupid errands. I’d rather listen to Abri pretend to be friends with me than face my family.
I’ve finished all my work today and more. I didn’t do any of Knight’s stupid errands. Instead, I spent my time maximizing his schedule to ensure he could get the most work done, answering emails, and writing my thoughts out about which markets they should target next.
And now, I’m stalling as I stare at the door, both wanting Knight to come through the door, and begging him not to at the same time. We both packed last night, after another fuck in his bed. I drove my car here this morning instead of having Gallagher drive me. All that is standing between Aspen and me is Knight’s meeting and a three-hour car ride.
I blast the radio on from my laptop. I don’t have the money to pay for Apple Music or Spotify. And I like listening to the commercials and the silly games the hosts play.
“Tonight is going to be a gorgeous night in Colorado. A perfect night to see a concert at Red Rocks. Tickets are still available for…”
Knight has never been to a concert. Here’s my chance to fix that.
I pull up the Red Rocks site and grab Knight’s credit card I use to run all his errands. I’ve been tempted before to use his credit card to get back at him. Use it to rent an apartment. Buy a new car. Or even something simple like buying myself lunch. But I never have.
I decisively click the touchpad on my computer. Tonight that changes.
My door creaks open, and I turn down the radio station.
“You ready to go, beautiful?”
I smile at the nickname from Knight’s lips.
I nod, closing my laptop and grabbing my purse.
I walk out of the office with Knight close behind me but not touching me. He nods at his employees in their cubicles on the way to the elevator. Everyone’s eyes are on us. Even though I’ve worked here for two weeks, I hardly know any of their names. I haven’t had time to connect when Knight has been sending me on wild goose chases. They all know what happened yesterday in Knight’s office. They all look at me with wide eyes and whispered comments. It will take a lot to win any of them over as real friends.
I expect my cheeks to flame when I realize that everyone knows I fucked our boss. I expect not to be able to meet their gaze. But it makes me hold my head higher because Knight isn’t really my boss. Well, not in the same way as he is to everyone else. Me working here is just a way to pass the time until he asks me for a favor I don’t want to give. And I’m afraid that time is growing near. He made it clear it wouldn’t come until closer to December, but nothing about our relationship goes slowly.
We step into the elevator, and I expect Knight’s hands to be all over me. He doesn’t jump me. Our fingers brush together, and my breath catches as I gaze at him out of the corner of my eye. He’s in a dark blue suit with a grey tie. He matches me, even though I purposefully picked an out of order outfit. Somehow we are in sync, even though the rest of the world thinks we should be apart.
The elevator doors open in the parking lot below the building, and Knight motions for me to step out. I do, and he follows me toward my car. I climb into the driver seat as he climbs in the passenger seat. I should have spent the day cleaning my car. It smells like fast food and old books. The fabric seats are faded and covered in dust and hair. Knight looks out of place in my car until he takes my hand and squeezes tightly.
“You sure you don’t want my driver to drive? We could have a lot more fun that way.”
“No,” I say smiling.
His phone buzzes, and he frowns at the number. “I don’t have to take this.”
“Answer.” I already know it’s Peter from his last meeting calling to take Knight’s offer. The clients always call when the meeting is over, jumping at a chance to work with Knight.
He holds my hand tighter as he answers the phone.
I push everything out as I drive with one hand on the wheel and one hand holding Knight’s. Tomorrow is going to suck, but tonight is going to be fucking amazing.
Knight ends his call after thirty minutes. “Um…Mila, do you need directions to Aspen? I’ve only gone a couple of times, but I don’t think this is the way.”
I smile. “It’s not the way to Aspen.”
“Are you trying to kidnap me?”
“Something like that.” I turn onto the side road that climbs up the mountain.
“I don’t think now is the time to go hiking again, either.”
“We aren’t hiking.”
“Then what are we doing?”
“We are going to your first concert.”
“Who’s playing?” he asks grinning far too wide.
“Does it matter?”
He laughs. “You don’t know. You bought tickets for a concert, and you don’t even know who’s playing.”
I wince. “Actually, you bought tickets for our concert. I don’t have any money, remember?”
He frowns and pulls out his wallet. He starts pulling hundred dollar bills out, counting them quickly, he hands the wad to me.
“Your advance.”
I blink rapidly as I take the money. “I earned it?”
“More than earned it.”
I put the money in my purse as we both step out of the car. People have parked on either side of us and are walking toward the concerts in jeans and T-shirts.
I pause suddenly.
“What’s wrong sweetheart?”
I frown. “We can’t go in like this.” I glance at his expensive suit and my skirt, jacket, and heels.
“Then, what do you suggest?”
&nb
sp; “You packed a T-shirt and jeans, right?”
He laughs, and we head to the trunk. After five minutes of digging through our bags, we finally find something suitable to wear.
Knight removes his jacket, as I help him with his tie. We both stare at each other silently, as I slowly undo the buttons. He shrugs out of his shirt and places the items into the trunk.
“You should, uh, climb in the back seat to change,” I say.
His eyes stay on me as his lips curl up. I try to keep my eyes on his face instead of his tantalizing muscles. He sits back into the car, grabs my hand and pulls me inside as well.
I giggle uncontrollably as he pulls me on top of him in the backseat. The door shuts behind me, trapping us inside.
“Knight, we can’t! People will see,” I squeal in a high pitched voice as he kisses down my neck to my breasts.
“We can’t what? Change?”
My eyes roll back in my head as he kisses above my breast again. I would fuck him in front of the entire world and feel no embarrassment. I just want him. All of him. Even the parts he won’t let me have because he’s afraid I’ll hate him for real.
I take control, kissing down his chest stopping when I reach the V that disappears into his pants where a bulge is waiting to be freed.
He slips my jacket off, and slowly unbuttons my shirt, as he pulls me up to his face and buries his head between my breasts, carefully keeping me covered while he kisses me.
“Yes,” I moan as he twirls my nipple in his mouth.
“Fuck, we should have taken my car. We could have done so much more.”
I nod in agreement, but then his fingers are under my skirt, pushing aside my panties, and then finding the wetness that has already soaked them. He moves the juices around my clit as he punishes my nipple for not agreeing to take his car.
I try to reach down between my legs to give him pleasure too, but he swats my hand away.
“If you pull me out, I won’t be able to stop until I’m inside your beautiful cunt and I can’t, not here. You’re mine, and I won’t let anyone else see how amazing you are.”
I fist my hands in his hair to keep myself from grabbing his cock.
He slips one, two, three fingers inside me as I gasp and pant, riding his fingers as if they were his cock.
More, more, more.
He does. His tongue laps faster around my nipple, teasing me with his teeth as he nips at me, and his fingers move faster in my pussy. I’m sure his fingers and pants are drenched in my cum, but it doesn’t make him stop.
Just as I’m about to scream his name, his mouth comes down on mine, and I scream his name into his lips.
I’ve never felt more alive than when I’m with him. I’ve never felt more taken care of or more free to be me.
This is just about sex. There is no us. This isn’t a relationship.
Knight gives me an I-just-rocked-your-world smile when I finally come down off my high.
“What was that for?” I ask.
“I couldn’t resist. And you needed to get out of these clothes anyway.” He leans forward nipping at my ear. “Although I would suggest changing your panties as well, these are soaked.”
I laugh, and then we both change into jeans. I pair a gray tank top with mine, and he wears a gray T-shirt.
“Always matching,” I laugh as he takes my hand.
“Always connected.”
We walk into the venue, hand in hand. I buy the beer with the new money I got paid with, despite Knight’s protests. And then we find our seats in the middle.
“Wow,” he says when he gets the view of the city below, twinkling in the dark night.
“It’s perfect, isn’t it?”
Knight moves me in front of his body and wraps his arms around me, pulling me tightly to him. “Now it is.”
We hold each other as the music plays, drinking beer, and pretending we know the lyrics to the music even though we don’t.
It feels like a date, and I constantly have to remind myself that it’s not.
“Tell me something I don’t know,” I whisper into his ear.
He doesn’t miss a beat as if he was anticipating my question. “I never met Ren. I know you want to ask, but I’ve never met her. Abri never introduced me to her friends. She didn’t like me hanging out with other girls. I guess she thought I would find someone better.”
I cock my head so that I can look him in the eye. More truths from my bad boy with the dark eyes. It also means if he didn’t meet Ren, he never met me. I don’t know if I’m happy we never met, and therefore don’t have to feel bad about forgetting him, or sad we don’t get to have some epic love story that transcends time.
“Your turn, pretty girl.”
“Cole told me he wants to take over the company. I think he’s planning some sort of overthrow.”
Knight laughs and kisses my lips softly. “Don’t worry about Cole. He’s a good man; he’d never hurt either of us.”
“The kiss wasn’t hurting us?”
Knight shrugs. “Cole thought if he kissed you it would piss me off enough to claim you. It worked.”
I nod. He’s probably right.
“Now, tell me something real, not about Cole.”
“I’ve never been fucked in a bathroom at a concert.”
Knight laughs. “Now that I can make happen.”
It was late before we decided to leave the concert and head to Aspen. And now it’s almost three in the morning as we arrive outside my sister’s house. A house that used to belong to my parents.
The drive was peaceful and tranquil. We didn’t talk much, occasionally sharing a random fact about ourselves. Other times we would listen to music. And sometimes we wouldn’t say anything at all.
Knight didn’t complain about me driving. He let me take control. Something I haven’t felt in a long time.
Knight is currently fighting sleep in the passenger’s seat. He usually wakes up in two hours and isn’t used to being awake this late.
“Knight, we are here. Time to wake up.”
“I wasn’t asleep,” he mumbles.
I kiss his lips. “I know.”
I park the car in the driveway of what most people would call a mansion. My sister just calls it home.
We both climb out, and Knight grabs my duffel bag, along with his spinner bag, and we march toward the garage. I enter the code to open the garage.
“The guest bedroom is on the second floor. Third door on the right. We have to be quiet, so we don’t wake Ren or the kids.” The guest room used to be my room. It holds too many memories. Most of which I’d rather run away from.
Knight nods and follows me inside. I texted Ren earlier that I would get in late and just use the code. I lied and said Knight’s meeting ran late, and I had to stay. I didn’t tell her Knight was coming. I didn’t want to upset her further until I knew for sure he was coming.
Knight curses in a whisper as he stubs his toe on the corner of a kitchen counter.
I hold back a laugh until the lights come on.
“Ren, you’re awake,” I say as my sister stands in her robe in the kitchen.
“Of course, I’m awake. I couldn’t sleep until you got here. I wasn’t sure if I was going to have to rescue you if you got lost or stuck in a ditch somewhere.”
I walk over and hug her. “Sorry you were worried,” I say even though I know her worry has more to do with not wanting me to be in the news than her fear.
“And who are you?” Ren asks Knight.
Shit. I’m not prepared for this. It was the one subject Knight and I didn’t bring up on the car ride over.
“I’m Ace Knight, but you can call me Knight.”
Knight extends his hand to Ren, and she takes it hesitantly.
“I’m her boyfriend.”
I freeze. I want to stop this. Tell Ren he isn’t my boyfriend, he’s my boss, but Ren is smiling brightly like I finally did something right. Ren looks to me like she has a million questions, but I’m not stayi
ng awake to answer any of them.
“It’s been a long night. We should get to sleep.”
“Of course, you guys can sleep in the guest bedroom. Third door on the right.” She doesn’t even call it my bedroom, even though it is.
Knight smiles and carries the bags up the stairs with Ren and me following. I tell Ren goodnight and then head into our bedroom.
“I thought we weren’t pretending,” I say.
“We aren’t.”
“Then what was that crap about you being my boyfriend? You could have just said friend or boss or something.”
Knight smirks. “Because I wanted to go with the truth. You’re mine, Mila, which makes me your boyfriend.”
16
Knight
Boyfriend. Why did I say that?
I can’t be a boyfriend. For one, I’m still technically married, though separated. And two, I just can’t. My heart can’t love again. I can’t be the man Mila deserves.
But when I look at Mila leaning against the door of the bedroom, completely broken herself, I know I want to be her boyfriend more than anything.
I’m willing to try again. Willing to risk it all for her. I just have to convince her and my heart of it.
Mila looks down at her feet instead of at me. She’s nervous. It’s clear from the way she twists the end of her hair. The way she shifts her weight back and forth on her feet. But there is a smile there, buried beneath the worry.
I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to be the boyfriend she wants and needs. All I know is I can’t be apart from her.
I should say those words to her, but I can’t find my voice.
Instead, I find myself looking around the room. This isn’t a guest room. This is Mila’s room. Or at least, it was. But this room isn’t like the Mila I know now. The Mila who occupied this room was a free spirit. Posters of various bands I’ve never heard of line the walls. Sketches of tattoos she never got are mixed between the posters. There is a lava lamp in the corner and glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling. A pile of CDs is piled high in the corner, and a desk sits under the window still covered in textbooks and papers as if she were still studying in high school.
